Pipe laying apparatus



July 5, 1932' W PIPE LAYING APPARATUS Filed May 1. 1951 ZSheet's-Sheet 1 Jul 5, 1 932. WARD 1 1,866,381-

PIPE LAYING APPARATUS Filed May 1, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1.7 E M a doc C. E Ward:

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iatented July 5, 1932 CLARENCE F. WARD, or BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA P rn LAYING APPARATUS Application filed. May-1, 193 1. Serial No. 534,408.

My invention consists in new and useful improvements in a pipe laying apparatus and has for its object to provide a device for supporting a stringofconnected pipe sections above the ground while painting, cleaning,

wrapping or otherwisepreparing said plpe for lowering into a ditch, in such amanner as toavoid injury to the pipe or protective coating which may have been applied thereto.

Another object of my invention is to provide an apparatus which in itself is portable and adapted to be moved longitudinally alongside of a ditch and at the same time supporting the underside of a portion of the string of pipe, progressively liftingthat por tion of the string which has been prepared alongside .the ditch and lowering it into the ditch.

A further object ofmy invention resides in my improved carriage or-conveyor which 7 consists of a suitable endless belt or the like adapted to freely rotate around a plurality of rollers and provided with a series of brackets for successively engaging and supporting the under-surface ofthe pipe as the apparatus moves along longitudinally of the provide each bracket with a flexible transverse sling arranged and constructed to automatically'assume the contour of the pipe resting thereon, means being provided for ad justing the tension of said slings to suit clifferent sizes of pipe with which-the device may be employed.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists'in the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character deslgnate simllar parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a plan v1ew of the devlce 1n operation showlng the manner 1n WhlCll the strmg of pipe is lifted from alongside the ditch and.

lowered therein.

Fig. 2 is a sect onal view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the supporting. derrick diagrammatically and illustrating the rela tive positions of the carriage, pipe and ditch.

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation showing the conveyor belt and pipe supporting brackets.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line l4 of Fig. 8, and

Fig. 5 is a reduced vertical sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 1. It will be noted that this view is greatly exaggerated to accentuate the operation of the invention and is not intended to be correct in proportions.

In the drawings, 1 represents a conventional derrick having a caterpillar traction base 2 and the usual boom 3, the latter sup-. porting my improved pipe carriage by means of a cable 4 which passes overthe pulley 5 iuliid is reeled upon any suitable winch or the The pipe carriage comprises a frame 6 preferably constructed of a pair of longitudinally extending channelirons spaced apart laterally and carrying at least tworollers 7 arranged one at each end of the frame. It w1ll be noted that while I have shown only two rollers in the frame 6, this is merely for pe, the purpose of illustration and any addi- Astill further object of my invention is to tional number of rollers may be employed as required. 7 r

An endless belt or conveyor 8 which'may be composed ofcanvas, rubber, composition belting, metallic links or caterpillar treads, extends around the rollers 7 and is adapted to travel freely'thereov'eri This belt is provided with a plurality of transverse brackets 9 rigidly secured in place by any" suitable means and arranged a at spaced intervals throughout the length of the belt on its outer surface; said brackets each carrying two pivote'd arms 10, bifurcated attheir lowereX-' tremities' to straddle the brackets 9 and hing: edly secured pins 11.

The upper, ends of the arms 10 are preferably fiared longitudinally of the frame and are; also bifurcated to receive the ends of a in place thereon by suitable V sling 12, said sling ends beinglooped around 7 4 a suitable rod 'or pin 13 which extends between the upper bifurcations of the arms 10.

The tension of the slings 12 is adjustable to.

? idly secured on the brackets 9, whereby the pee relative positions of the arms 10 may be varied. In other words, for a pipe of large diameter, the arms 10 are adjusted to their extreme diverging positions, while for a pipe of small diameter, saidarms are permitted to swing inwardly toward one another to the required degree.

The frame 6 may be supported by any suitable means, but for the purpose of i lustration, I have shown supporting loops or bales '16,'the lower extremities of which are secured to the frame 6 as at 17, while the uppermost points of the loops are bent as at 18 to engage 'a suitable hook 19 on the cable 4, whereby the entire frame and carriage may be supported over a ditch 20 by the boom 3 of the derrick l as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

It will be noted that the string of pipe 21 is progressively supported by the uppermost set of slings 12and as the carriage is moved along longitudinally of the pipe, the arms and slings carried thereby are successively brought into and out of engagement with the i under-surface of the pipe by the rotation of the endless belt 8 around the rollers 7.

Having thus described the construction of my improved pipe laying device, its operation is as follows 2- I Referring to Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawings, the sections of pipe are connected along the side of the ditch as at 22, anterior to the point of engagement by the carriage. The string of pipe extendsover the'carriage and rests upon the uppermost slings 12, which portion of the pipe is elevated'as shown in Fig. 2, which permits the pipe to be painted, wrapped, cleaned or otherwise prepared for lowering in the ditch. As the work of preparation progresses, the derrickl is moved longitudinally of the ditchin the direction and as it moves, the piperemains longitudinally stationary, the

of the arrow in Fig. 1

belt 8 and with it the arms 10 and slings 12 revolving around the rollers 7, said slings successively assuming new positions along the under-surface ofthe pipe as the belt rotates. That portion of'the pipe posterior to the carriage is gradually lowered into the ditch as the derrick and carriage move along until the entire string of pipe has been treated and lowered into the ditch.

It will be noted that while I have described a derrick with caterpillar traction apparatus,

that instead of the rollers 7, I may employ sprocket wheels orthe like for rotatably suppor'tmgthe conveyor belt-or element 8.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of my improved pipe laying apparatus may be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Apparatus for laying pipe lines comprisingaframe, an endless conveyor operatively carried on said frame, means on said conveyor for progressively engaging a portion of the under'surface of a pipe line, means for suspending said frame over a ditch, and means for moving said frame longitudinally 'ofsaid ditch under said pipe line.

2. In apparatus for laying pipe lines, a pipe supporting carriage comprising a frame, a plurality of rotary members carried by said frame an endless conveyor mounted to travel over said rotary members, and a series ofpipe supporting elements secured to said conveyor and adapted to successively engage the undersurface of a portion of a pipe line as said conveyor travels over said rotary members.

3. In apparatus for laying pipe lines, a pipe supporting carriage comprising a frame, a plurality of rotary members carried by said frame, and endless conveyor mounted to travel over said rotary members, a series of pipe supporting elements secured to said conporting elements to accommodate various sizes of pipes.

In apparatus for laying pipe lines, a pipe supporting carriage comprising a frame, a plurality of rotating members carried thereby, an endless conveyor mounted to travel over said rotating members, a series of upwardly oroj ecting arms mounted on said conveyor in airs, and transverse slings carried between each of said pairs of arms for successively supporting the under-surface of a portion ofa pipe line as said frame travels longitudinally under the same.

5. In apparatus for laying pipe lines, a pipe supporting carriage comprising a frame, a plurality of rotating members carried thereby, an endless conveyor mounted to travel over said rotatingmembers, a series of up- 'wardiy projecting arms mounted on said conveyor 1n pairs, transverse slings carried between each of said pairs of arms for sucees-.

sively supporting the under-surface of a portion of a pipe line as said frame travels longitudinally under the same, and means for adjusting the tension of said slings to accommodate various sizes of pipes.

pipe supporting carriage comprising a frame, a plurality of rotating members carried thereby, an endless conveyor mounted to travel over said rotating members, a series of up- Wardly projecting arms mounted on said conveyor in pairs, transverse slings carried between each of said pairs of arms for successively supporting the under-surface of a por tion of a pipe line as said frame travels lonlo gitudinally under the same, said arms being pivotally mounted on said conveyor, and means for adjusting their relative positions to regulate the tension of said slings to accommodat-e various sizes of pipes.

l5 7 In apparatus for laying pipe lines, a: pipe supporting carriage comprising a frame, a plurality of rotating members carried thereby, an endless conveyor mounted to travel. over said rotating members, a series of brackets rigidly secured to the outer surface of. said conveyor, upwardly projecting arms piv-- otally mounted on said brackets and arranged in pairs transversely of said conveyor, pipe; engaging slings carried between each of said 25 pairs of arms, and means for adjusting the" 7 relative positions of said arms to regulate thetension of said slings for accommodating va-- rious sizes of pipes. i

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein 0 said adjusting means comprise set screws projecting through said arms and adapted to abut lugs rigidly mounted on said brackets, whereby said arms may be adjusted on their pivots to the desired position.

5 9. In combination with a derrick having suitable traction means, pipe laying appara-{ tus comprising a frame, means for suspend ing said frame from the boom of said derrick over a ditch, a plurality of rotating members- 40 carried by said frame, an endless conveyor mounted to travel over said rotating members, a series of pipe supporting elements mounted on said conveyor and adapted to successively engage the under-surface of a portion of a pipe line, whereby when said derrick is moved longitudinally, of said ditch, 7 said conveyor will travel around said rollers, the pipe supporting elements progressively engaging and supportingportions of the under-surface of said pipe llne. y

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CLARENCE F. WARD. 

